For him to retain that description he has to perform. After 2010 he will have hit his 3rd arbitration year and the specter of non-tender awaits him as the Mets are unlikely to pay him many millions of dollars to continue being injured/inconsistent, especially given that they finally have some prospects that may usurp him (I would feel more confident in that statement if I knew that Jenrry Mejia were going to the minors to continue his progress as a starter).

4 trips to the DL totaling 186 days over the last 4 years, that trend can't continue.

15 starts in 2009, 2 beyond 6 innings. 25 starts in 2008, 5 beyond 6 innings. Unacceptable. He needs to get back to the 2007 John Maine, when he made 32 starts and pitched beyond 6 innings 12 times. If he can do that, he will prove to the fans and the organization that he's worth paying and worth keeping around.